Ryder Cup: USA dominates Europe in Friday opening session at Whistling Straits

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Garcia and Rahm want to start ‘new Spanish tradition’ at Ryder Cup

Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia delivered the first blow for Europe in the 43rd Ryder Cup, but the United States dominated the early foursomes to take a 3-1 lead at Whistling Straits.

World number one Rahm birdied on the seventh and eighth holes to put Europe in the driver’s seat as they beat the hugely popular American duo Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas 3 & 1 in the most important game.

The win means Garcia equals Sir Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup record with 23 wins.

However, seasoned pair Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter lost the first five holes as they were beaten 5 and 3 by rookies Patrick Cantlay and Xander Sc chaudele.

Watch: Spieth pulls off “one of the most beautiful shots you’ve ever seen”

Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger also never trailed against Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, ultimately triumphing 2 & 1, while Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa came off on the bottom nine to win 3 & 2 over Paul Casey and Viktor Hovland.

Games kicked off a calm but cool morning at Wisconsin’s iconic Lake Michigan course that has hosted the US PGA Championship three times.

There were the pantomime boos expected from the first tee for European players, with hoarse cheers for American players drowning the meager support from the visitors. There will be up to 40,000 fans per day but few Europeans are present due to strict Covid-19 travel rules.

And home fans had more to cheer on with Thomas and Spieth taking the lead, but Rahm, who spoke Thursday about wanting to build on the Ryder Cup’s “Spanish heritage”, managed three birdies in five holes to give to Europe two advances in turn.

Garcia rolled in a 20-footer on the 15th to give Europe a three-hole lead with three to play in the alternate-shot format and secure at least half a point.

The match ended on the 17th despite a pretty sensational shot from Spieth, who almost ended up running into the lake as he was overbalanced playing the big rough. Thomas was unable to convert a five-foot putt, however, and conceded the hole and the game.

After the pairs were announced on Thursday, Europe captain Padraig Harrington said the best game was “big for both sides” – given how the opening session went, that turned out to be a point important for Europe.

While the best game was blue from the fourth hole, the other three games were pretty much red throughout.

World number two Johnson and Open champion Morikawa won the first hole with a birdie, and although Casey and Hovland took the third and fourth holes to lead, the United States won the next two to knock down the match in their favor.

Westwood and Fitzpatrick were still in their game against Koepka and Berger and a birdie in the ninth saw them tie the game. But the Americans won the next two with birdies and the next six holes were halved.

Harrington opted for the experience in his latest duo, with Poulter and McIlroy, who contested 13 Ryder Cups between them, taking on newbies Cantlay and ScHotele.

However, the Americans have been in great shape this season, with Cantlay being named the PGA Tour Player of the Season after winning the season-ending Tour Championship earlier this month – which also earned him a bonus of $ 15 million as a FedEx Cup champion – while ScHotele won the Olympic title in Tokyo in August.

And they ran into a five hole lead. Poulter and McIlroy won the 10th and 11th to raise hopes of a retaliation, but the Americans tied their birdies on the next two before putting in two more to wrap up the victory.

Europe were 3-1 behind after the 2018 Ryder Cup opening session in Paris, before winning.

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